Linux experts: Need help with Vista, Linux, Virtual Machine doohickey!

[RedM]

I thought I'd ask on here as I get decent answers that I can actually understand.

 

Right, bearing in mind I don't really understand what I'm actually asking, here is my question.

 

I have Ubuntu on my HDD. I have Vista on another drive. Can I run a VM that will allow me to run Vista from within Ubuntu?

 

Can an existing install of Vista be used within a VM via a USB HDD or will it need a fresh install onto an internal drive?

 

FWIW I thought about partitioning one of the drives and installing the other OS onto it. This is problematic for two reasons. One is that my Vista HDD is in four partitions, the first and last of which are hidden and contain a Vista recovery thing, a small version of XP for a fast booting home cinema thing that my laptop can do and some proprietary laptop manufacturer software.

 

Also, I only have Vista on a recovery disk which, as I understand it, will only create the four partition Vista HDD set-up. I can't just install Vista!

 

Any ideas?

 

FWIW all this is just so I can play FEAR without swapping HDD around.

[JustGav]

You will be able to take a ghost image of your old machine and run it under a VM. The catch will be the drivers when you start up..(It will probably fail), however there are tools like Platespin which can do the P2V transition.

 

Safest way of doing it above, you can under VMWare mount a physical device but I'd not recommend it.

[RedM]

I thought I'd ask on here as I get decent answers that I can actually understand.

 

You will be able to take a ghost image of your old machine and run it under a VM. The catch will be the drivers when you start up..(It will probably fail), however there are tools like Platespin which can do the P2V transition.

 

Safest way of doing it above, you can under VMWare mount a physical device but I'd not recommend it.

 

I knew I'd regret that line!

[JustGav]

I knew I'd regret that line!

 

heheheh, sorry...

 

The big problem when you copy a running system and try run it directly under a virtual machine (known as VM)is that the drives are loaded for system a... these include processor and system type as well disk drivers...being different on the VM, the machine panics.

 

There are tools like platespin which can do the physical to virtual changes (called P2V), which might make it easier.

 

Making a ghost image of your original machine means that it won't affect the vista install should it go wrong.

 

Is that better?

 

http://www.platespin.com/

[JustGav]

Ah...here we go

 

http://www.vmware.com/products/converter/

[RedM]

heheheh, sorry...

 

The big problem when you copy a running system and try run it directly under a virtual machine (known as VM)is that the drives are loaded for system a... these include processor and system type as well disk drivers...being different on the VM, the machine panics.

 

There are tools like platespin which can do the physical to virtual changes (called P2V), which might make it easier.

 

Making a ghost image of your original machine means that it won't affect the vista install should it go wrong.

 

Is that better?

 

I sort of get it.

 

re your first para: Would it help that the Vista drive came out of the same computer that the Ubuntu drive now sits in? That would mean it's looking for the correct hardware wouldn't it?

 

Would a boot manager be able to force a boot from the Vista drive that sits in a USB caddy? At present Vista fails (despite the BIOS supporting 'Boot from USB HDD') as it loads the USB driver support far too late in the boot process and then has a tizzy because it also checks to make sure it's the primary device and internal. (that's how it reads to me from several sites).

[JustGav]

I sort of get it.

 

re your first para: Would it help that the Vista drive came out of the same computer that the Ubunu drive now sits in? That would mean it's looking for the correct hardware wouldn't it?

Not really..VMWare emulates certain hardware, in this case ide drivers...the fact that it is the same processor is a help.

 

Would a boot manager be able to force a boot from the Vista drive that sits in a USB caddy? At present Vista fails (despite being supporting 'Boot from USB HDD') as it loads the USB support far too late in the boot process and then has a tizzy because it checks to make sure it's the primary device and internal. (that's how it reads to me from several site).

 

Nope, because as you have said, as soon as the BIOS hands over the boot sequence windows doesn't have the USB drivers and as such can't read the device.